The road to perdition is paved with good intentions: the Pilipinas Kay Ganda ad snafu
I have no business dealings with the advertising agency Campaigns & Grey but some of my favorite humans work there and I will vouch for their intelligence and personal integrity. Today when I read about the Department of Tourism and the Pilipinas Kay Ganda ad campaign fiasco, I asked my friends to explain what was going on. Their statement follows.
Basically their problem is that they were too kind and accommodating towards their over-eager client, which isn’t even a client because no contract has been signed and the agency has not earned a cent off them. Instead of saying “WTF!?” to the client, they said, “Ummm, let’s see what we can do.” Lesson: Don’t be so nice.
Campaigns & Grey was called upon by the Department of Tourism for advice on a new branding exercise. There was hesitation on our end as we were familiar with the complex bidding process, and we were still owed by the past administration for services rendered. Our love for country prevailed.
From the beginning, it was clear that the actual campaign would be bidded out and that our work was merely to establish preliminary strategic directions. But suddenly, there was a pressing need for exploratory concepts to be shown in some travel industry events. Again, we warned the client that we were taking too many shortcuts. But it was agreed that there would be proper market research where multiple concepts will be thoroughly tested among the target markets i.e. North America, Korea, Japan, China etc.
Throughout this whole episode, we did not have a contract nor did we receive a single centavo.
Based on available market data, ‘Pilipinas Kay Ganda!’ was developed as one of five concepts for testing among the target segments. The intention of this particular concept was to come up with a novel line that visitors would find memorable, similar to Hawaii’s ‘Aloha’ or even the Japanese ‘Irasshaimase!’ and help regain Filipino pride in the long run.
From many different logo studies that we recommended, we were directed to use the Polska logo for inspiration. Again, this went through several revisions until the client approved a logo similar to the fonts of Polska. With the addition of several other Philippine elements like the tarsier, smiling coconuts and the sun, there was enough distinction to send the logo into market research. If findings showed negative reactions towards the logo or if respondents felt it was reminiscent of the Polska logo, it would be easier to dissuade the client from using it.
We repeatedly warned the client that it was premature to launch, or even preview the study, but apparently preparations for the tour operator event were already underway. We ourselves were shocked at the grand scale of what was supposed to be a mere glimpse to draw out a constructive exchange among industry partners. It was not surprising that media and the public took it as a done deal.
We shall take this experience as a cautionary tale against giving in to the client and allowing their overenthusiasm to override our better judgment. It was a reminder that the road to perdition is paved with good intentions.
* * * * *
humanum777 wants to know why the Polska logo was used in the first place. Exactly what I asked the agency. Apparently the DOT really, REALLY liked the Polska logo and brought it into the discussion. Whenever original designs were presented to the DOT, their reps insisted that the agency stay close to that design. (Because Poland is our competitor in the “tropical paradise” category?? Because no one would find out that they were ripping off Poland’s tourism logo?? That’s me, not the agency.)
So the agency gave in because the design was not supposed to be made public; they would have a proper, original design by the time they launched. The agency’s fault is in giving in to the DOT reps when they should’ve run screaming out the door. Just say no to plagiarism even when officially sanctioned.
Answers to questions you might be asking, unless you wandered onto this site purely by accident >>>
November 20th, 2010 at 05:34
Thanks for this. It’s good to hear their side but I still don’t get why they had ripped-off an existing logo of the official Polish travel campaign (“Polska”) and tried to pass it off as original. The similarities are glaring and it’s difficult to accept this as mere coincidence.
November 20th, 2010 at 11:49
Every time I see that statue of Ninoy Aquino in Ayala, I feel like covering my head in shame, perceiving that our foreign visitors (especially those from Europe), as well as those with good “taste” here, and those who are interested in the arts, are probably wondering who commissioned and approved that hideous piece. I know that that was said in a not so diplomatic way, but I am an artist, and it’s an upfront to me, the way that it’s so haphazard, unaffecting, and unmoving, considering that it’s supposed to immortalize a very emotional and luminous part of the Philippine modern history.
I bet the culprit is someone from the government, or a government agency, who knows squat about the arts, which is, what’s happening again with this tasteless Philippine tourism campaign.
They should be able to push the artists to do their best and not their worst. After all, the artists are its biggest image makers. So, what nonsense has happened again with this tourism campaign!
If President Aquino can just appoint someone, from the many qualified and talented professional artists in the Philippines, to head our culture and arts departments, then the chances of well meaning and competitive ad agencies like that producing works that they are ashamed of, would be minimized or even eliminated.
Having said those, I’m glad that there are now discussions on public arts or anything related to it, here. I wish to see a time when the government would stop pushing the arts to the back burner, as if it’s something just for the elite and the whimsical, as evident in the public school curriculum.
–
Have you heard of that slogan, “Love Is Louder”?
How about, “Art Is Very Loud”? – I made that up. I think art is a close second to love.
And if the Philippines wishes to make its presence known to the world, not just via Manny Pacquiao, then the government better uplift the morale of its artists and not slowly kill it by deliberately sitting on its face.
Artists ha, not artistas.
PS
I know you are a supporter of the arts, Ms. And you have such a “loud voice”—so thank you, in behalf of phantom artists, like me. Someday we will have a being and we would be able to speak for ourselves. But for now, we are just some displaced spirits, who visit your page ala oracle of Apollo at Delphi. While you be zee high holy priestess of the universe who hosts us, graciously. Thank you.
November 20th, 2010 at 12:31
If DOT really wanted a catch phrase that would truly represent the country, they shouldn’t look so far for it, “Mabuhay” is a word that is ours, it may be a direct translation of the Spanish “Viva” but “Mabuhay” in a way is uniquely ours. It trumps “Wow Philippines” or “Pilipinas Kay Ganda”.
Somehow I understand what went through the mind of the person who brought forward the idea of using the font of the Polish tourism logo. I guess he was so impressed that he think we would be able to get the similar reactions from tourists if we use the same vibrant theme. But then again, it backfired and might probably become potentially embarassing for us. In fact, the DOT fiasco has been featured in Gulf News of UAE.
http://gulfnews.com/news/world/philippines/philippines-what-a-beauty-pulled-off-the-internet-1.713365
I feel sorry for the ad agency.
November 20th, 2010 at 14:09
Campaigns and Grey is taking the Supreme Court gambit that there was no malicious intent to commit plagiarism on their part. For love of country daw. Plagiarism is theft. Period. If no one had raised a ruckus, the Campaigns people wouldn’t have said a thing and smirked their way to the bank with a fat new account.
November 20th, 2010 at 19:23
A bitter lesson both to the DOT and Campaigns & Grey.
To clients, trust your ad agency’s judgement. Ad folks will never come to you with lame ideas. They are in advertising precisely because they love what they do.
To ad agencies, there are ways to say no to clients without sounding you’re saying no. But that’s easier said than done. But if your client is already f*cking with you, weigh in the pros and cons. If a client is already insisting on an idea that will put your agency’s creative reputation at risk, resign the client. Better to lose one client than lose your face. And all your future clients.
November 20th, 2010 at 22:43
“Our love for country prevailed.”
So much for love of country…and for that sentence to be followed with this one…
“Throughout this whole episode, we did not have a contract nor did we receive a single centavo”
Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!
November 21st, 2010 at 10:24
My wife works in the Tourism industry and she was there when the campaign line was launched. It goes without saying everyone thought it was stupid.
The concensus in the industry now is that the new DOT secretary does not know what he is doing.
November 21st, 2010 at 14:25
I kept on hearing about the messed up “ad slogan” for the DOT, but didn’t hear the part about the POLSKA logo until now.
I used to work in ad agency many years ago, and familiar with clients like the one described above (sometimes the actual company owner) who eagerly “directed” the ad campaigns (slogans, commercials, jingles, etc).
This explanation from Campaigns and Grey, sounds lame to me, though. It is after the fact, and sounds like they’re passing the buck.
If my lawyer follows my advice instead of his, what the hell would that be?
November 22nd, 2010 at 01:33
Miriam Defensor-Santiago: “This is a light weight cabinet! Magpakita naman sila ng ebidensiya na may utak sila.”
Dammit.
November 22nd, 2010 at 09:38
Perhaps, the program that was used in copying the logo “does not have a function that raises an alarm when original materials are cut up or pruned,” as our venerable Supreme Court would say (cf. In Re: Del Castillo, A.M. No. 10-7-17-SC, 12 October 2010).
November 22nd, 2010 at 12:37
touche, rph_kat. i was about to inquire on the contradiction between those two statements.
Dear DOT,
please just refresh
“WOW Philippines!”
November 22nd, 2010 at 13:38
turmukoy: That WOW campaign really worked. I know Europeans who came here because of that ad.
Dammit, I forgot to require you to join the last LitWit challenge.
November 22nd, 2010 at 15:56
The only reason why our president is insistent on changing the previous slogan is because it was from the Arroyo administration. Our current administration is hell bent on undoing everything Arroyo did, even the things which are working (this slogan, holiday economics).
#7isaak: The DOT Secretary lang? I think everyone in this administration does not know what they are doing.
As for Campaigns and Grey, damage control lang yan. They still copied, period. No matter how insistent the client was, they should have been able to say no.
November 22nd, 2010 at 18:33
melvel, i think wow philippines is from erap’s time, during gordon’s tenure as dot secretary.
i worked before for a dutch company. i also saw that that campaign worked with colleagues from europe. even intramuros (commonplace to us) clicked during those years.
madame jessica, i tried to write an entry, but no match agad kay momelia :-)
ang akala ko rin laruan ang espada sa picture. totoo pala!